The legislation, which was introduced in 2021, aimed to address concerns about Apple’s fees for app distribution. However, the company that charges developers a fee to have their apps available to iPhone users opposed the bill and viewed it as a threat to its revenue stream, the report added.
How Apple used the movie to stop the bill from passing
As per the report, an Apple representative has warned Tanner Magee, a senior lawmaker in the Louisiana House of Representatives, that the company would halt production of the film “Emancipation” if the state proceeded with the app store bill.
Apple was filming the historical drama, featuring Will Smith as “Whipped Peter” — the ex-slave whose scarred back was famously photographed in 1863 — in Louisiana. The Apple representative reportedly indicated that the company would move the film’s production elsewhere, which would have negatively impacted the local economy, the report added.
Watch the upcoming movie’s trailer here:
Emancipation — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
“He basically said that if we didn’t kill the bill, he’d kill the movie and hurt our economy,” Magee told WSJ in a statement. However, an Apple spokesperson denied making any such threats.
In a separate statement to the WSJ, the Apple spokesman said: “We always operate with the highest standards of integrity, and allegations that we have not in this instance are false.”
Recently, Apple may have also used its influence to help block another proposed law in Louisiana. This law aimed to require the company to implement age verification for its smartphone users.
Earlier this year, Kim Carver, a freshman state legislator, told WSJ that Apple lobbyists bombarded him with “panicked” text messages when they discovered he planned to include an age verification requirement in a proposed bill which was aimed at protecting children from the dangers of social media and technology.
#Apple #Smith #movie #block #App #Store #bill #Times #India